How a single word can change your year.

Every January, we’re encouraged to reinvent ourselves.

New habits. New routines. Big promises about what this year will finally look like.

And then life carries on being life, busy, unpredictable, sometimes heavy and those promises quietly slip away. Not because we don’t care, but because real change rarely happens in neat, straight lines.

That’s why I stopped setting New Year’s resolutions years ago.

Not because I stopped wanting more from my life, quite the opposite. But I wanted a way of growing that didn’t leave me feeling like I was constantly falling short.

Now I choose a word for the year instead. It was a concept introduced to me over 10 years ago by the wonderful Susannah Conway (seriously, go check her out) and Ihave found it hugely valuable over the past decade or so.

A word isn’t a target, it’s a golden thread

For me, a word of the year isn’t something to hit, tick off or complete. It’s a focus, a gentle intention. Something to return to, not something to pass or fail.

There’s far less guilt attached to a word. It isn’t all-or-nothing. It’s not the same as ‘run a mile every day’ or ‘get a promotion’. External things can come into play with that type of resolution. With a word, it’s all in our control.

On a good day, it can stretch you.
On a tired day, it can steady you.
And on a hard day, it can simply help focus you.

That’s what makes it so powerful.

The word I thought I’d choose

This year, I was convinced my word would be something like:

Momentum.
Progress.
Forge.

Strong, driving words that would keep me pushing forward in my business, finally seeing the growth I’ve been working so steadily towards.

They made sense on paper, but when I actually sat down and journalled, something else came up. The word we end up with can sometimes be unexpected.

The word I actually needed

The word I landed on was delight.

Not what I expected or planned.

The last few years have been heavy.
Covid. Lockdowns. Furlough. Redundancy. Retraining. Setting up a business. Health worries. Loved ones facing cancer, tests, surgery. Others needing serious operations.

For a long time, it’s felt like I’ve been holding my breath, waiting for things to settle, waiting for life to feel lighter again.

Choosing delight is my reminder that I don’t have to put joy on hold.

That I can still notice the small magic in ordinary days. That I don’t need to wait for “someday” to enjoy my life. That it’s not only allowed, but necessary, to relax and find light in the middle of the hard stuff.

I also love that the word itself holds light inside it , illumination and the opposite of heaviness.

That feels like exactly what I need more of.

Why one word can change your year

A word doesn’t ask you to overhaul your whole life.

It quietly shapes:

• how you make choices

• what you say yes to

• how you treat your time

• what you notice

• how your days feel

You can always return to it and ask:

What would this look like today?

No pressure. No falling behind, just steady momentum.

Finding your word

If you’re curious, start gently:

• How do you want this year to feel?

• What do you want more of?

• What are you ready to grow into?

• What feels important right now?

Write down any words that come up. Look at their meanings. Notice which one keeps nudging you. Sit with it for a few days. The right word usually settles rather than shouts.

And if it changes later on? That’s allowed too.

When you’ve found your word try to find ways to keep it in mind throughout the year. First write down your own definition of the word and how it’ll be relevant to aspects of your life. Then make it visible, put it in a vision board, write it out on post-it notes and put them around your house, tell people about it, put it on your social media if that makes it come alive for you, use it as a daily mantra or bring it to mind every time you come up against a hurdle.

 I like to create a graphic that I can print off and put on my noticeboard next to my computer and one in my main notebook, so it’s always visible.

If you’re craving a little more space, support and encouragement as you find your own rhythm, this is exactly the kind of gentle, steady reset we build inside The Coaching Circle,  simple routines, seasonal check-ins and quiet accountability that fits real life.